By: B. Rajeshwari
Sri Radhakrishha Swamiji stated that everybody has divinity as well as ego. But ego is inversely proportional to Divinity. That is, if you are simple and humble you are full of divinity and if you are egoistic, you have zero divinity. Sai Baba has stated – “Such pious persons have become my followers whose sins have been destroyed and they have understood me.” – (Chap 13, Ovi 11-13)
From the moment we’re born, whether our birth arrives in India, Africa, Europe, or America, whether we’re born black or white, rich or poor, tall or short, capable of wisdom or not, able to see or not, able to walk or not, whether or not we are healthy, or sick, born to Christian, Hindu or Muslim, Buddhist, Jain, agnostic or atheist parents, whether or not we are born in the mountains, cities, deserts, or on islands in the far seas, every human being, all of us, are taught associatively to attach our identity to the identity of the person, persons, stricture, customs, and place of our birth, to attach identity to our name, looks, thoughts, feelings, senses, and actions. We are taught that identity attachment is needed to survive, to shield us from social exclusion, and to gain purpose, value, and worth in our own eyes and that of other people. We are taught that ego defines us even while ego is inserted into the center of our identity before we’re old enough to decide who we are for ourselves. We’re taught what to think before learning how to think. This means the choice is taken from us. And we grow up believing ego is who we are, an identity that binds us to what has been.
Sai Baba has stated – “If you recite ‘Sai, Sai,’ always, I will take you beyond the seven seas. If you believe in these words, you will be certainly benefited”. – (Chap 13, Ovi 11-13)
If we study the lives of several close associates of Baba we come across many with positive and negative aspects. Baba corrected an arrogant Dasganu to a great Kirthankar and Nana Saheb Chandorkar to evolve as a role model devotee. Whoever was proud of belonging to a superior caste was made to become a Sai devotee. How do we discern this, and verify the truth or falsehood of so provocative a statement? First, we ask — where does life take place?
Life takes place in the present. What lives, if it lives, lives here and now. What the present is, however, and how fast it’s going by, we cannot discern, but we do know the present is not what we remember, not what we imagine will happen.
The problem, while our body lives in the present, and processes the present through its senses, actions, feelings, and thoughts, our attention to and awareness of the same, is rarely in the present with our body. An ego is a tool. One that we master or one that masters us. To know this, Sai Satcharita has many examples. Dada Khelkar insulted many with his ego. With Baba’s blessings, he became a lovable person.
Sai Baba’s assurance – “The whole universe is my home. I am myself Vasudev and all-pervading God. I am myself the Parabrahma.” – (Chap 9, Ovi 47)
To verify that ego is a past and future tense event, not a present tense event, gives us cause to observe ego rather than be ego. Cause to detach from and escape the twin tides of remembrance and future imaging that so relentlessly drive our focus of attention to define who we are through who we were, or will be, and not who we are now, here, at this moment.
Leave a Reply